Pretty typical Swedish defender. Emphasis on positioning and not on ending opposing players' season. He's not "soft" as he's often the guy most willing to block a shot and he doesn't shy away from the dirty areas or physical contact.
He asked about toughness, not about meanness, there is a difference. Hammer is tough, he'll go to the dirty areas, finish checks and blocks shot.
Thanks for being wrong again, as usual.
Hammer blocks shots, and does what any Dman is supposed to do. I guess all Dmen are tough in your logic. I guess Kruger is tough too, he goes to dirty areas, blocks, finishes his 'hits'..
When someone asks who a tough Dman is, I think of Seabrook, Pronger, Weber, type dmen...not Hjalmarsson.
He asked about toughness, not about meanness, there is a difference. Hammer is tough, he'll go to the dirty areas, finish checks and blocks shot.
Thanks for being wrong again, as usual.
Its like you've seen him play and came to a conclusion based on what occurred on the ice. What devilry is this??
For the innocent islanders observer, this guy's analysis is 100% right and the guy he was dismantling is still a bit sore from being proven wrong earlier in the day.
Wrong about him again, he is not tough, he does his job. If he laid more hits like he did on Klesla I would change my opinion about that. The guy doesnt hit near as much as he should, and doesnt do anything else good enough to warrant his cap hit.
I don't love him at all. I'd move him for the right return. He's a middling defenseman with weaknesses in his game. But the question as asked was answered, and not correctly by you.
For your information, there are plenty of defensemen out there who do NOT play tough. You'd know a few if you, you know, watched games.
So I guess blocking shots and doing what Dmen are supposed to do = toughness
Yes, there are Dmen that don't do what they are supposed to, but no one is asking for them in trades.
I guess your definition of toughness is completely different than mine, which includes heavy hitting on a constant basis, clearing the front of the net, and sticking up for teammates. Hammer does none of that.
Hammer blocks shots, and does what any Dman is supposed to do. I guess all Dmen are tough in your logic. I guess Kruger is tough too, he goes to dirty areas, blocks, finishes his 'hits'..
When someone asks who a tough Dman is, I think of Seabrook, Pronger, Weber, type dmen...not Hjalmarsson.
Wrong, you are.
Most NHL DMen are tough. Hjalmarsson doesn't win the Award for Toughest NHL Player but to call him "soft" or anything is ridiculous.
So I guess blocking shots and doing what Dmen are supposed to do = toughness
Yes, there are Dmen that don't do what they are supposed to, but no one is asking for them in trades.
I guess your definition of toughness is completely different than mine, which includes heavy hitting on a constant basis, clearing the front of the net, and sticking up for teammates. Hammer does none of that.
I would say being near the league lead in blocked shots makes you tough.
Defenseman are supposed to stop offensive chances. Certainly more then one way to skin a cat.
I would say being near the league lead in blocked shots makes you tough.
Defenseman are supposed to stop offensive chances. Certainly more then one way to skin a cat.
When the Isles fan posted that they wanted to add toughnesd, to me, that doesn't mean they are looking for a guy who can block shots and that's it.
To me, adding toughness is adding a guy who will stick up for teammates, hit like a Mack truck, and clear bodies in front of the net, on top of blocking shots.
Like I said, maybe I just have a different meaning of toughness. Blocking shots is something a Dman should do if needed.
When the Isles fan posted that they wanted to add toughnesd, to me, that doesn't mean they are looking for a guy who can block shots and that's it.
To me, adding toughness is adding a guy who will stick up for teammates, hit like a Mack truck, and clear bodies in front of the net, on top of blocking shots.
Like I said, maybe I just have a different meaning of toughness. Blocking shots is something a Dman should do if needed.
There aren't many Dmen in the league that have all the elements you just listed. Dion Phaneuf? That's about it. Brent Seabrook doesn't make flashy hits, nor does he fight very often, yet, I don't think you'll find a fan in the league that doesn't think Seabrook is as tough as they come.
There aren't many Dmen in the league that have all the elements you just listed. Dion Phaneuf? That's about it. Brent Seabrook doesn't make flashy hits, nor does he fight very often, yet, I don't think you'll find a fan in the league that doesn't think Seabrook is as tough as they come.
lol Dion is brutal. He throws big hits, that's it. When he fights, he just drops the gloves first and holds the guy until the ref breaks it up like he did with Seabrook in the 09 playoffs.
lol Dion is brutal. He throws big hits, that's it. When he fights, he just drops the gloves first and holds the guy until the ref breaks it up like he did with Seabrook in the 09 playoffs.
Yeah...and because he's such an f-ing idiot he throws them at the most inopportune times - he completely abandons the play to go in for a hit, which creates a hole in the play and frequently leads to the other side scoring.
Hammer will block a shot with his face if need be. Nobody ever questioned his willingness to get in front of a shot puck.
But playing a tough, stand up game, he doesnt do at all.
Having said that, the Hawks shouldnt get rid of him.
He doesn't do it often enough but he is capable. When he got shafted with that suspension for his hit on Pominville, it seemed to make him gun shy and he was reluctant to use the body when he returned. He can play physically and it is up to the coaching staff to get him back there. This is why I'd love to see a guy like Larry Robinson get recruited by the Hawks. In some (no, make that many) ways the assistant coach they hire is more important than the players Hawks acquire this summer.
